Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

1 Chronicles 13 / Basic English

1. Then David had discussions with the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds and with every chief.
2. And David said to all the men of Israel who had come together there, If it seems good to you and if it is the purpose of the Lord our God, let us send to all the rest of our brothers, everywhere in the land of Israel, and to the priests and the Levites in their towns and the country round them, and get them to come together here to us;
3. And let us get back for ourselves the ark of our God: for in the days of Saul we did not go to it for directions.
4. And all the people said they would do so, for it seemed right to them.
5. So David sent for all Israel to come together, from Shihor, the river of Egypt, as far as the way into Hamath, to get the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
6. And David went up, with all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim in Judah, to get up from there the ark of God, over which the holy Name is named, the name of the Lord whose place is between the winged ones.
7. And they put the ark of God on a new cart, and took it out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio were the drivers of the cart.
8. Then David and all Israel made melody before God with all their strength, with songs and corded instruments of music, and with brass instruments and horns.
9. And when they came to the grain-floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to keep the ark in its place, for the oxen were slipping.
10. And the wrath of the Lord, burning against Uzza, sent destruction on him because he had put his hand on the ark, and death came to him there before God.
11. And David was angry because of the Lord's outburst of wrath against Uzza, and he gave that place the name Perez-uzza, to this day.
12. And so great was David's fear of God that day, that he said, How may I let the ark of God come to me?
13. So David did not let the ark come back to him to the town of David, but had it turned away and put into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
14. And the ark of God was in the house of Obed-edom for three months; and the Lord sent a blessing on the house of Obed-edom and on all he had.

1 Chronicles 14 / Basic English

1. And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent men to David with cedar-trees, and stoneworkers and woodworkers for the building of his house.
2. And David saw that the Lord had made his position safe as king over Israel, lifting up his kingdom on high because of his people Israel.
3. And while he was living in Jerusalem, David took more wives and became the father of more sons and daughters.
4. These are the names of the children he had in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab, Nathan and Solomon
5. And Ibhar and Elishua and Elpelet
6. And Nogah and Nepheg and Japhia
7. And Elishama and Beeliada and Eliphelet.
8. And when the Philistines had news that David had been made king over all Israel, they went up in search of David, and David, hearing of it, went out against them.
9. Now the Philistines had come, and had gone out in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.
10. And David, desiring directions from God, said, Am I to go up against the Philistines? and will you give them into my hands? And the Lord said, Go up; for I will give them into your hands.
11. So they went up to Baal-perazim, and David overcame them there, and David said, God has let the forces fighting against me be broken by my hand, as a wall is broken down by rushing water; so they gave that place the name of Baal-perazim.
12. And the Philistines did not take their images with them in their flight; and at David's orders they were burned with fire.
13. Then the Philistines again went out in every direction in the valley.
14. And David went for directions to God; and God said to him, You are not to go up after them; but, turning away from them, come face to face with them opposite the spice-trees.
15. And at the sound of footsteps in the tops of the trees, go out to the fight, for God has gone out before you to overcome the army of the Philistines.
16. And David did as the Lord had said; and they overcame the army of the Philistines, attacking them from Gibeon as far as Gezer.
17. And David's name was honoured in all lands; and the Lord put the fear of him on all nations.

1 Chronicles 15 / Basic English

1. And David made houses for himself in the town of David; and he got ready a place for the ark of God, and put up a tent for it.
2. Then David said, The ark of God may not be moved by any but the Levites, for they have been marked out by God to take the ark of God, and to do his work for ever.
3. And David made all Israel come together at Jerusalem, to take the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had got ready for it.
4. And David got together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites;
5. Of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and twenty;
6. Of the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred and twenty;
7. Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and thirty;
8. Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred;
9. Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brothers, eighty;
10. Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and twelve.
11. And David sent for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel and Amminadab,
12. And said to them, You are the heads of the families of the Levites: make yourselves holy, you and your brothers, so that you may take the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place which I have made ready for it.
13. For because you did not take it at the first, the Lord our God sent punishment on us, because we did not get directions from him in the right way.
14. So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy to take up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15. And the sons of the Levites took up the ark of God, lifting it by its rods, as the Lord had said to Moses.
16. And David gave orders to the chief of the Levites to put their brothers the music-makers in position, with instruments of music, corded instruments and brass, with glad voices making sounds of joy.
17. So Heman, the son of Joel, and, of his brothers, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan, the son of Kushaiah, were put in position by the Levites;
18. And with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Bani and Jaaziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni, Eliab and Benaiah and Maaseiah and Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the door-keepers.
19. So those who made melody, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were put in position, with brass instruments, sounding loudly;
20. And Zechariah and Aziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel, Unni and Eliab and Maaseiah and Benaiah, with corded instruments put to Alamoth.
21. And Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel and Azaziah, with corded instruments on the octave, to give the first note of the song.
22. And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was master of the music: he gave directions about the song, because he was expert.
23. And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark.
24. And Shebaniah and Joshaphat and Nethanel and Amasai and Zechariah and Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, made music on the horns before the ark of God; and Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.
25. So David, and the responsible men of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went with joy to get the ark of the agreement of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom.
26. And when God gave help to the Levites who were lifting up the ark of the agreement of the Lord, they made an offering of seven oxen and seven sheep.
27. And David was clothed with a robe of fair linen, as were all the Levites who took up the ark, and those who made melody, and Chenaniah the master of those who made melody; and David had on a linen ephod;
28. So all Israel took up the ark of the agreement of the Lord, with loud cries and with horns and brass and corded instruments sounding loudly.
29. And when the ark of the agreement of the Lord came into the town of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looking out of the window, saw King David dancing and playing; and to her mind he seemed foolish.

Proverbs 20 / Basic English

1. Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise.
2. The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself.
3. It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war.
4. The hater of work will not do his ploughing because of the winter; so at the time of grain-cutting he will be requesting food and will get nothing.
5. The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out.
6. Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen?
7. An upright man goes on in his righteousness: happy are his children after him!
8. A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes.
9. Who is able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sin?
10. Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord.
11. Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right.
12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye are equally the Lord's work.
13. Do not be a lover of sleep, or you will become poor: keep your eyes open, and you will have bread enough.
14. A poor thing, a poor thing, says he who is giving money for goods: but when he has gone on his way, then he makes clear his pride in what he has got.
15. There is gold and a store of corals: but the lips of knowledge are a jewel of great price.
16. Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
17. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand.
18. Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war.
19. He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide.
20. If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night.
21. A heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing.
22. Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour.
23. Unequal weights are disgusting to the Lord, and false scales are not good.
24. A man's steps are of the Lord; how then may a man have knowledge of his way?
25. It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them.
26. A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them.
27. The Lord keeps watch over the spirit of man, searching all the deepest parts of the body.
28. Mercy and good faith keep the king safe, and the seat of his power is based on upright acts.
29. The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs.
30. By the wounds of the rod evil is taken away, and blows make clean the deepest parts of the body.